What happens when Africa’s most dynamic innovators meet laws that are still catching up to AI’s speed?

We sit down with Richard Odongo, Senior Associate (IP & Technology) at Bowmans (Law Firm), to map the real terrain: who owns AI-generated work, how data should move across borders, and what “responsible AI” looks like when livelihoods and culture are on the line.

We start with the major shifts: regulators across the continent are shifting from reactive penalties to smarter engagement, and countries like Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa are creating conditions where innovators can succeed. Richard explains why dialogue-first oversight is better than quick fines, and how policy teams, ESG experts, and lawyers can work together to lower risk without losing momentum. His advice is practical: educate regulators about the technology, classify data by sensitivity, and use targeted obligations to protect what truly matters.

The ownership debate becomes real when AI creates music or drafts inventions. Richard describes how ownership depends on meaningful human input and tight contracts: attribution rules, licensing scopes, revenue sharing, and clear responsibilities among model providers, creators, and platforms. We also explore data sovereignty, from local copies for elections and health data to secure cross-border flows that enable analytics, BPO work, and safe travel systems. Infrastructure is also crucial—energy-efficient data centers, resilient networks, and ESG considerations that help AI stay sustainable long-term.

Ethics shifts from a buzzword to a blueprint: fairness, bias reduction, source credit, and transparency that consumers can see. And because context is key, we discuss localizing frameworks for African languages, cultures, and public services. Richard’s final advice for future legal tech leaders is simple but powerful: choose a niche, learn persistently, stay humble, and build with integrity.

Ready to think beyond hype to the real rules of the road? Hit play, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a review with the one change you want to see in Africa’s AI future.

Credits
Host:

• Stella Gichuhi

Producer:

• James Njoroge

Executive Producers:

• Harry Hare
• Agutu Dan